Summer Health and fitness Q & A

[huw williams]

Once again Cycling Weekly turns to ACC as a source of real world opinions. Currently in production is the Summer Health & Fitness issue and beloiw are a number of questions which you can add your opinions on. If you want your full name to go in print (as opposed to your forum nickkname) then sign off your reply at the bottom.

Thanks again in advance

Huw


The Questions

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training?

Does cycling help keep you young?

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance?

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions?

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power?

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em?

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event?

[huw williams]

Cheers Sean - where an athlete's body is a temple, yours is clearly a one-room bedsit in Penge

[Snoop Doug]

The Questions

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training? [color=#0000FF]I sing fast songs in my head, keep one eye on my average speed and when it really hurts, I think weird, unpublishable thoughts involving (amongst other things) bunny rabbits, banjos and Thora Hird [/color]

Does cycling help keep you young? [color=#8000FF]What did you say Sonny...? Provided you stay upright on the bike, Yes I think it does. So does a good sense of humour and not running under buses. [/color]

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance? [color=#808000]I'm not a veggie but I don't eat much meat. Certain fringe elements of the scientific communuity believe well timed use of the excess wind generated through a high fibre veggie diet could enhance performance, but this is as yet, unproven.[/color]

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions? [color=#408080]In the lead up to a race I would consider this - otherwise time spent on the road, away from the turbo is for fun.[/color]

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power? [color=#FF0080]From what I've read this appears to be a useful, consistent measure. I have no personal experience as I can't afford a powertap....yet.[/color]

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em? [color=#40FF00]love going up 'em, hate going down 'em[/color]

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event? [color=#FF4000]Stretches, then cake, then sleep[/color]

Doug Shaw

[Stu Merckx Man]

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training? i like to think back to all the training i have done, and how its had conditioned me to cope with what my legs are feeling, and that what im feeling is going to add to that conditioning . if the pain is getting excruciating, i like to look down at my legs, and tell myself consciously that there is no reason why my nerve endings should be sending pain signals to my brain, when i see grass, twigs and leaves go under my wheels i know to look up again, but by then its usually too late...snap crackle and pop!! .

Does cycling help keep you young? i need to get old first

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance? im a carnivore. it takes muscle to build muscle!

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions? yes, i have a variety of routes depending what day it is, and what im aiming to train and the weather. i have short ones, long ones, hilly ones and flat ones

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power? if i could i would

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em? love 'em

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event? big glass of water within 5 minutes, banana mixed with chocolate spread within 20 minutes, 4 boiled eggs within the hour, a bath within 2 , put my feet up for the next 3 whilst drinking tea and dunking chocolate hobnobs. )

Stuart Chamberlayne

[adrian]

As ever, Sean is a tough act to follow, but...

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training? I find a simple form of cognitive therapy – recognising negative patterns of thought and challenging them – works really well for me. I first learnt to do this off the bike, of course, but find that the same principles apply to riding (or running, or whatever).

Does cycling help keep you young? Yes – I'm fitter and stronger now than I was 15 years ago – and I played football regularly then. I’m always pleased to find that most of my non-cycling contemporaries are paunchy and a bit knackered-looking.

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance? I'm not a vegetarian but don't eat that much meat. Besides, the current worldwide unrest over food prices is just the start – eating meat is no longer sustainable for lots of reasons. So alternative sources of protein such as beans and pulses are going to play an increasingly large part in all athletes' diets as time goes on.

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions? I usually go on rides that someone else has planned!

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power? Haven't tried it myself but I know people who swear by it.

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em? I love 'em – just not necessarily at the time, and especially not going down them. Flat rides are a bit like tennis without a net as far as I'm concerned.

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event? I know what I should do - stretching and massage – but the reality is I get straight in the bath with a beer, before embarking on a three-day eatathon. All this interspersed with as much sleep as I can get away with.

Adrian Ashworth

[Andrew G]

[quote="Sean_BanciaoDad©"]
What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training? I think about Victoria Pendleton

[Grahame]

The Questions

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training? [color=#4040BF]What is this "race" thing of which you speak? I gave them up years ago, niow I ride for fun.[/color]

Does cycling help keep you young? [color=#4040BF]Yes, I am currently 41 going on 12. Or, for a semi-sensible answer, I'm the same age as Gordon Ramsey but like to think that the lack of wrinkles etc. make me look at least 5 years younger.[/color]

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance? [color=#4040BF]When I started mountainbike racing I had been vegetarian for about a year and was regularly placing in the top 10. If I felt I needed protien, I would eat pulses or quorn. Then I was got by a bacon sandwich one Sunday morning, and my decline to middle age sloth was ensured.[/color]

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions? [color=#4040BF]I ride where I feel like riding. Mostly driven by scenery, the "fun factor" of the route and quality of the tea stop.[/color]

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power? [color=#4040BF]Never tried it, but some people seem to swear by it. I know that I'd be in danger of becoming obsessed by the numbers and stop having fun.[/color]

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em? [color=#4040BF]Love 'em. They hurt more going up them than when I was 15 years and 10 kgs younger, but the downslopes are great. It's easy to spot those who've ridden offroad at all - they look much more relaxed descending, and tend to be much quicker.[/color]

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event? [color=#4040BF]lots of liquid, some food and then a shower. Then some more food.[/color]

[kieran]

The Questions

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training? During training the fear I'll get dropped in my first race and I also imagine myself going around my local course at Crystal Palace. During races focus is not usually a problem, too busy either keeping with the bunch (early races) or keeping with the front (later races)

Does cycling help keep you young? no, we're all doomed to grow old (if lucky) and die, but it keeps me healther so can do more active things than if I didn't

Are you a vegetarian? Yes Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance? Not as far as I know, but I have read somewhere that if you eat oily fish etc recovery from training & injury speeds up

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions? Sometimes, e.g. trips to box hill for hill intervals, circuits on local training course

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power? Never done it but would think it quite useful

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em? Both, flat bits are boring

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event?eat food and hot shower, no time for rest with children

[Ivor]

The Questions

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training?
hardly an expert on the subject since I've only just started TT's. Too busy concentrating on the route and not falling off means I don't need to try to stay any more focused than I am!

Does cycling help keep you young?
Not sure about young, I mean I'm still young and bouncy. aren't I? It keeps me fit and healthy though.

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance?
Not a chance. Meat and lots of it.

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions?
plan? people plan rides? I tend to just cycle to see the scenery. or to head towards somewhere and just meander down any roads that look interesting

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power?
Don't know yet, only just started to look at power numbers but I'm a gadget junkie and can't get enough of looking at numbers on the computer. I found looking at heart rate numbers very useful when I started, and I've just downloaded the training peaks program to have a play with.

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em?
Love them. Unless it's cold and wet and I've completely underestimated how steep it is and how unfit I am.

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event?
Tea, Cake/Flapjack, Bath. er, and recently savlon, hydrocol pads and alginate dressings.

Ivor Hewitt

[MJ_1993]

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance?

No but Ramadhan is a hard one to stomach.

[Marky Mark]

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training?
[color=#FF0000]I have not done a race yet, I train in the early hours of the morning, normally when I'm still half asleep so I don't get bored. [/color]

Does cycling help keep you young?
[color=#FF0000]Nope, it keeps you alive for longer, my attitude keeps me young.[/color]

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance?
[color=#FF0000]NOPE, I don't think I'll be trying it either. I have nothing against people who are vegetarian.[/color]

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions?
[color=#FF0000]I tend to match my route slightly above what I'm actually capable of doing. I get great satisfaction from completing a ride I thought I couldn't do.[/color]

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power?
[color=#FF0000]I'm a bit of a sucker for stats, and I have been looking into buying a power meter, mainly because I would like to be able to tailor my training to a level I can monitor on road and off road (indoors). [/color]

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em?
[color=#FF0000]I was going to say "Hate 'em". But a ride without a hill sometimes feels to me a bit too easy and boring. So I do love them in moderation.[/color]

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event?
[color=#FF0000]After a long Club Run, double espresso, stretching and long hot shower followed by large glass of red wine.... Perfect.[/color]

[Marek]

he Questions

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training?

Most of my hard training is done on the turbo trainer and to keep focussed I like to watch cycling DVD's. I have a couple of training DVDs from the Chris Carmichael collection, these are ok but you can get a bit fed up of seeing footage of American riders and the supporters waving the stars and stripes.

Does cycling help keep you young?

Yes it sure does. I am 33 and still get asked for ID when I buy booze, its great and really annoys the wife. But I know a number of cyclists who look even younger for their age, I remember when my parents were marshalling a year or so ago at Newchapel Village Hall. They saw Huw in the hall playing on the piano and said, who is that young boy playing on the piano, he is very good for his age. I then had to explain that he was actually quite a bit older than he looked/acted.

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance?

Nope, Gaucho Grill would go out of business if I was. Not sure of the effects, but I would have thought it would be harder to build muscle, if you needed it.

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions?

At times, I do like to throw in some hilly routes and have a couple of killers up my sleeve for when I need to get that edge on the hills for sportives or a hilly race.

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power?

Not sure, but I think it would be very effective. I have done a bit of training with power on the turbo trainer and it is effective at keeping you aware of any improvements.

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em?

I used to love them when I could beat all my training partners up them. Now they have all got quicker up the hills than me, so I tend to loathe them a bit.

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event?

Cup of tea and a slice of cake as soon as possible after the race. Then stop off at a petrol station and get a bottle of water and maybe a couple of chocolate bars. Then when I get home a big bowl of pasta with bolognaise sauce and a glass or two or red wine, followed by a large slice of chocolate cake or whatever else is lying around. Not sure if this is looking after it but seems like the right thing to do.

Cheers

Marek....

[Mike I]

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training?

I just try to keep the pedals turning, ideally in nice smooth circles.

Does cycling help keep you young?

It doesn't do any harm, but I attribute my youthful good looks mainly to genetic good fortune

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance?

Wot, no steak? Vegetarianism is an eating disorder.

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions?

I work out how long I have to ride and adjust my ride accordingly. I have rides I know will take about 2, 3 and 4 hours and tinker with them depending on how I feel.

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power?

Never tried it and probably never will. Nobody who's spent £750 on a power meter is going to say it's rubbish, are they?

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em?

Getting to love 'em; a ride doesn't feel like a proper ride without them. I'm still not very good at them though.

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event?

Banana and chocolate milk shake with honey; a stretch; a bowl of home-made soup. (I used to eat everything in sight, but I seem to have got over that.)

Mike Ingram

[Dombo]

What techniques do you use to stay focused during races and training? [color=#0000FF]I don't race but during training, if on a turbo I'll try and imagine I'm on a route with a similar resistance; if on the road I'll focus on how much "easier" (haha, fat chance!) the event I'm training for will be [/color]

Does cycling help keep you young? [color=#0000FF]Maybe, but my childish sense of humour probably helps also[/color]

Are you a vegetarian? Do you think being veggie affects athletic performance?[color=#0000FF]No. No idea[/color]

When planning your ride do you choose routes to match your training sessions? [color=#0000FF]Yes I try and get some hills in[/color]

How do you rate the usefulness of training with power? [color=#0000FF]Never tried it but I've heard it's effective. I only use a basic HRM and even then only for idle curiosity[/color]

Hills - love 'em or hate 'em? [color=#0000FF]Liking them more as I get fitter, and especially with other riders. On my own there's no one to pace against[/color]

What do you do to look after your body after your race or event?[/quote][color=#0000FF]Chocolate milk and a Mars bar. Post Dragon Ride there were free massages so had one of those, with a Coke and a cheeseburger while queueing.[/color]

[kieran]

As a veggie, I must admit finding some of the replies to the veggie question amusing. It reminds me of when we decided to bring our children up vegetarian, people thinking they would be undeveloped, weak etc. Similar misconceptions here with regards to protein and muscle building etc.

check out:

[url]http://www.muscleprogram.com/vegetarianbodybuildingisitpossible/[/url]
[url]http://www.vegparadise.com/athlete5.html[/url]

Also in the UK late in the 19th century, to fight against this 'idea', the VC & AC (Vegetarian Cycling and Atheletic Club) was formed (still in existence) check out their record and history at:
[url]http://www.vcac.vegfolk.co.uk/history.html[/url] which should dispell andy worries if you are veggie or thinking of going veggie.